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VOL. 4/ISSUE 39
Counties ponder VSO budgets
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2016
Flapjacks in flight
Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com
Florida counties are combing through their proposed 2016-2017 budgets. One item they’re all considering on the Space and Treasure coasts is veteran services. Most Florida counties have county-employed veteran service officers, VSOs, who help veterans apply for benefits and appeal denials. Additionally, county VSOs are up on state and local benefits and programs, and many have privately-donated emergency assistance funds to help veterans with immediate needs. The counties’ fiscal years run from October to September in Florida. Tony Reese, supervisor, said Martin County Veterans Services requested an increase from $171,000 to $200,000 from this to next fiscal years. Reese said much of that had to do with an increase in providing veterans with free transportation to the West Palm Beach Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center. The county has three buses for that now. The Veterans Council of Martin County and other veterans organizations raised money to donated a third bus earlier this year. “Now that we have new reliable buses and a fixed route we can better manage the driver cost,” Reese said in an emailed response to queries. “The reason for the new fixed route is to assist the VA Hospital with the backlog of appointments and allow appointments throughout the day and not just in the mornings.” But, Reese said that’s not the only reason for requesting more money from the county commission. “The other is increased cost of doing business,” Reese said. Martin has two VSOs who are both fulltime. Reese is one. Additionally, it has an administrative assistance and three on-call drivers
See VSO BUDGETS page 5
Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Harbor Place resident Alice Watson gets a flapjack flipped by Doc Radachio during a breakfast benefiting Southeast Florida Honor Flight Wednesday, July 20 in Port St. Lucie.
Car wash fun fundraiser for Wreaths Across America Mary Kemper STAFF WRITER
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
On a blistering hot July 23, the place to be was a car wash fundraiser for Wreaths Across America at the Auto Zone in Port St. Lucie. As enthusiastic placard-wavers stood by the side of Port St. Lucie Boulevard encouraging motorists to pull in, a crew stood ready to thoroughly wash, rinse and hand-dry each car or truck. It was all in benefit of Wreaths Across America for St. Lucie County, whose
chair is Air Force veteran Diane Almodovar. Wreaths Across America seeks to honor every fallen veteran with a holiday wreath each December wherever they are buried. In St. Lucie County, the local organization has maintained its annual effort at White City Cemetery, and, just recently, Rolling Oaks Cemetery. In Palm City, the organization is headed by Gold Star Mother Karen Zook. It all got started in 1992, when Morrill Worcester, owner of the Worcester Wreath Co. of Bangor, Maine, realized a dream that began in boyhood.
As a 12-year-old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News, Worcester won a trip to Washington, D.C. A visit to Arlington National Cemetery left an indelible impression on him. In 1992, Worcester Wreath had extra wreaths left over, and he decided that he could send them to Arlington National Cemetery as a way to honor the fallen veterans. The effort continued for many years, a small and quiet way to realize Worcester’s boyhood inspiration. But in 2005, the Internet
See CAR WASH page 7